Now that longtime rivals Wabash and DePauw are both in the North
Coast, and Mount Union and UW-Whitewater have taken a break from
annual December clashes in Salem, the best non-conference
competitive rivalry in Division III is Wesley vs. Mary
Hardin-Baylor.

It wasn't always a rivalry, as D-III's only team in Delaware and
an upstart from Texas first met in the second round of the 2005
playoffs. Wesley's 46-36 win then was a big surprise, perhaps
because we barely knew Bryan Robinson and Larry Beavers (each of
whom would go on to have a cup of coffee in the NFL; Robinson still
plays in the Arena League) back then, but mostly because UMHB was
coming off an
appearance in the 2004 Stagg Bowl.

At first, only the NCAA's skewed regional geography brought the
Wolverines and Crusaders together. As other South Region powers
like Bridgewater, Washington & Jefferson and Trinity began
their declines from elite to only very good, Wesley and UMHB
rose.

But then they met again in the 2006 playoffs. And again the
first week of December 2007. And in 2008, 2010 and 2011 as well. By
2012, with Wesley having trouble scheduling games because it was a
perennial top 10 team and an independent, and with UMHB in a
similar boat being a national power on a D-III island in Texas, two
aggressive head coaches agreed to a regular-season game.

Now, it's a game that matches the No. 4 Crusaders and the No. 5
Wolverines. Because we have five rounds of playoffs, clashes of top
teams aren't rare, but the last top-five matchup in the regular
season besides UMHB and Wesley last season was when UW-Whitewater
and UMHB met in Wisconsin in Oct. 2010.

Now this game has become so big that it's got its own Facebook page, and is scheduled for
under the lights at UMHB's brand-new, on-campus stadium. The Cru
considers this their first true home game since the program debuted
in 1998 (all other games had been played near campus at Belton
High's field).

UMHB brings a 36-game regular-season winning streak in, and beat
Wesley 32-25 and 32-20 last season to even their series at four
each.

The regular-season meeting between these teams likely won't be
the last. In every season but 2009, Wesley or UMHB has ended the
other's season, and in every season since that first meeting, only
another elite D-III program has ended either of these two teams'
seasons, a round or three into the playoffs.

So D-III fans kick back and enjoy on Saturday night. And
whoever's side doesn't win, don't despair. This is only a chapter
in a continually budding rivalry.